Vol. 72/No. 17      April 28, 2008

The company fired them after receiving “no-match” letters from the government claiming there were problems with the workers’ Social Security numbers.

Angel Casique, with 13 years at D’Amico & Sons, explained that the company “has discriminated a lot against the Latino workers.” Casique explained that the company has already hired new workers at much lower pay and benefits. Workers say the company offered a $500 severance pay to those fired.

“We want justice for all those who have the same problems,” said Angel Peñafiel, with 15 years at D’Amico & Sons. “When there is a union there is a lot of strength. If all the Latinos unite, we can achieve something.”

Three trucks making deliveries to the company turned away because of the picket line.

Later that day several of the fired workers went to a membership meeting of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 789. The UFCW members, who work at Dakota Premium Foods, were discussing their contract negotiations with the company, but took time out to hear the D’Amico workers and offer their solidarity. The D’Amico workers extended their solidarity to Local 789’s fight for a decent contract.

Fired D’Amico workers also went to the May Day Coalition meeting later that night to get support. The coalition is organizing a march May 1 in support of immigrant rights.

—Rollande Girard

200 construction workers rally
for union in New York City
NEW YORK—Chanting “we are union!” some 200 members of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1 rallied in front of the Empire State Building April 10 to protest the use of lower-paid contract laborers to renovate the building. The contractor, M.D.B. Development, “doesn’t pay the area-standard wages and benefits and doesn’t participate in a state certified apprenticeship training program for masonry restoration,” stated a flyer distributed by Local 1.

“We must get the company to sign up with the union,” said Eli Franco, a member of Local 1, at the rally.

M.D.B. Development has hired workers through the United Service Workers of America (USWA) Local 339. This outfit has a reputation in the city’s labor movement for stepping into the middle of contract disputes to offer workers at lower wages and fewer benefits. The New York AFL-CIO has adopted a resolution denouncing USWA for “its efforts to blatantly undermine organizing activities.” The construction industry bosses’ organization, the Association of Building Trades Contractors, has praised the USWA as “a strong and viable” alternative to the Laborers union.

—Brian Williams  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home